Sid Neigum spring/summer 2017 collection catwalk show for LFW

Press packs for front-row guests to the Sid Neigum SS17 catwalk show are scrawled with the handwritten note “less is always more”. It is interesting, then, that the collection comprises a number of innovative designs that seem to fall outside the limits of this statement.

Neigum’s choice of colours is, admittedly, on the “less” side of the scale. Sticking to his usual monochrome, the vast majority of outfits speak more to his skill for choosing interesting fabrics than any penchant for print or colour. Only with a few splashes of bright crimson did Neigum stray from this palette: once for a buttonless silk pyjama-style set, the front of which tied in an ascot knot, and once for a long tunic and trouser set with exaggerated sleeves.The real issue with the above statement came with Neigum’s patterns, which were beautiful and elegant but certainly not so minimal as to warrant the label “less”. Draping and fabric manipulation featured heavily in this collection and it certainly made an impact from the word go. The first look on the runway included semicircle shapes, about the size of a dinner plate, incorporated into the sleeves of a lightweight tunic top; the second included a jacket with overly long sleeves and draping across the elbow/waist plane that smacked of a straight jacket. Later, a black jacket made of 10s or even 100s of folded and stapled strips of PVC caught the attention of the entire room. There were however a number of items that did meet the “less is more” criteria. One brilliant white dress with a round neck also included long, moderately flared sleeves; rather than incorporating anything additional, Neigum simply included a slit from the shoulder to the wrist, giving the dress yet more movement and a particularly fluid silhouette. As a matter of personal taste, I would have to agree with Neigum’s statement that less is indeed more when it comes to filling your wardrobe with wearable pieces. As a matter of couture and going against the regular grain of the runway, however, Neigum is certainly dominating. I would suggest he abandon the maxim above and embrace his innovative streak.

Katie Dean
Photos: Krisztian Pinter

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